Wasteful Gunners fall into the gap again

That's the way to do it: super substitute Roberto Firmino fires past Aaron Ramsdale to give Liverpool a 2-0 lead and, Alisson saves brilliantly from Martin Odegaard

- Simon Collings

Arsenal 0

Liverpool 2

Jota 54, Firmino 62

A GAP still exists between Arsenal and the Premier League's top teams - but, on the evidence of last night, it is not as great as it once was.

For large parts of this game, Arsenal held their own, going toe to toe with one of the best sides in Europe.

And even when Liverpool went 2-0 up through Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino, there was no collapse from Arsenal, unlike at Anfield in November, when they lost 4-0.

Instead, like their narrow loss at home to Manchester City in January, Arsenal fought on, and despite their five-game winning streak coming to an end, there were positives for Mikel Arteta.

“Probably we were the better team in many parts of the game, but when the defining moments were there for the taking, we have to take them, and we haven't," he said. “That was the difference in the game."

Those defining moments all came in the space of 10 second-half minutes when Liverpool showed the ruthless streak that has fired them back into the title race.